Aravani Art Project

We spoke with the founder of the Aravani Art Project, Poornima, a lovely and enigmatic young woman from Bangalore who believes that it is her duty to save the world. Read on to know more about their project, which breaks through the social stigma around the transgender community with the help of art.

Tell me about yourself.I’m born and brought up in Bangalore. After finishing my course in art and specialising in painting, I was disappointed as my only choice seemed to be painting canvases for galleries. I decided to get involved in theatre and started teaching at a school. I got an opportunity to go to the National Institute of Design, and was inspired to do more. I realised that I enjoyed working with communities, and wished to contribute to the society. I worked as an assistant for a documentary on the transgender community that was shot by a London-based filmmaker. I made some extremely good friends that time and wanted to introduce them to the rest of my friend circle. Painting walls in groups, according to me, is an extremely stress-relieving and fun group activity- which breaks barriers and helps people connect in a light environment. So, I started the Aravani Art Project.

What exactly is the Aravani Art Project? How would you describe it?It is a space where one meets and interacts with transgender people. We explore different cultures through art and form personal bonds. Everyone can participate in our public projects, regardless of their gender and sexuality.

What kind of challenges do you think they face, those that you face for during the course of this project?The challenges have been unlimited for them. It is not going to end for a while. It is up to us to change the mentality. The reality is that they go through discrimination every single day. I don’t know how much of it I can help, but I hope to at least create an impact on the younger generation through art since it is something that attracts them. It is a new way of going about this whole thing. The challenge for me is that how closed and ignorant people are, they just be like ‘oh, why do they behave like that on the road?’, it is so easy to ask that question but do they realize how much discrimination they face for being treated worse?

What general conceptions does society have about the transgendered people that you think they must rectify?When you see a person from the transgender community while travelling, smile. If you are brave enough to make a conversation, do so, they are human beings just like us. People need to have their own experiences to get out of this stigma.

People do have a stigma about the whole LGBTQ community…I feel that even though the LGBTQ is called a community, each letter needs their individual communities. It is so bizarre that in the feminist movements transgender women are not including, they struggle so much to be a part and we are not even helping them. They are supposed to be recognized but at the same time they are not given houses to stay. It is not that they are independent and asking for something, their basic living condition is something they are deprived of.

Are there any personal challenges you have faced during this project, to work with them perhaps?There will always be a personal challenge for me since there is constantly guilt because I don’t know how much is enough. My friends and parents have been a big support and been so understanding. When my dad reads some news about transgender people or some policy he tells me about them. When he meets them on the road too, his attitude has changed from the typical middle aged man who is ignorant of them. These small changes are what I like to see more. You talk to them and then you go home to everything you have and you feel that I have all of this and I just met somebody who doesn’t, I don’t know how to balance that.​Any advice you have for the trans people?I would only like to say that they should remember that every one of us is equal in this.The Aravani Art Project has its art up on the walls of only Bangalore currently. There are a number of ways to help them out in achieving their goals. You could get them in touch with communities in different cities, or associate them with organizations that provide funding so that can expand their art. They also appreciate being put in touch with activists to begin the dialogue required for social activism for empowering the transgender community. Artists who have experience in painting walls, or those who know of empty usable wall spaces can get in touch with them as well to aid them in their journey.